Corn-planter



(No Model.)

O. THOMPSON.

CORN PLANTER.

No. 312,931. Patented Feb. 24, 1885.

' lihvrrn ra'rns PATENT rr imn.

CHARLES anonrson, on ALLiSoN, IOWA.

CORN PLANTER.

SPEGIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No. 312,931, dated February 2%, 1885.

Applicaiion filed October 14, 1884.

lb all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES THOMPSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Allison, in the county of Butler and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn-Planters, ofwhich the'following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a simple device, which may be attached to any corn-planter, whereby the dropping of the corn may be performed automatically.

The invention consists in a cam provided with a flange, by which it is secured to the carryingwheel of a planter by clips; a hinged adjustable vibratory arm for conveying motion to the dropper 'slide, with means for disengaging said arm from the cam, and for locking it when engaged; a horizontally and vertically adjustable pivot for said arm, and a marker to indicate the location of the covered corn. v

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents aside elevation of the invention attached to an ordinary corn-planter; Fig. 2, a sectional plan view of thesame; Fig. 3, a crosssection of the cam, covering-wheel, and their connections,in theline ya of Fig. 2; and Fig. 4:,

thevibratory arm an d its attach ments in detail.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is a cam-wheel consisting of two rings having two or morelateral offsets,and fastened at a uniform distance apart by stirrup-bolts D D, to the projecting lateral branches of which they are secured by rivets or otherwise. To the other ends of the bolts is secured, by jam-nuts, a ring or flange, A, adapted to clear the hub of the carrying and covering wheel B and rest against the spokes, where it is fastened by suitable clips, a a.

In order to make the cam-wheel adjustable to any desired space laterally, these bolts are threaded a considerable distance from the end, so that by screwing up or unscrewing the nuts the distance between the cam and the flange may be varied to suit the circumstances. This construction also admits of the cam being trued up with perfect accuracy after the flange-ring is attached to the wheel. The cam is designed to be applied to any of the corn-planters in (N0 model.)-

ordinary use, and the adjustments are to meet the variations in the arrangement of different machines. A vibratory arm, 0, connects the cam-wheel with the dropper-slide F. Under the rear end of this arm is a traveler, b,which follows the path between the sides of the cam as the latter revolves. The traveler is preferably placed over the vertical center of the cam, as shown. The arm is pivoted on apost,

I-I, secured to a bracket, E. For convenience of adjustment the post is threaded at the lower end,and passesthrough an eye in the outer end of the bolt E, which serves as a bracket and is similarly adjustable, both'parts being fastened in position by jam-nuts. The bracketbolt E passes through the side of the frame I, and the hole bored for it is the only one necessary in attaching the device to any planter.

To accommodate the arm to variations in the throw of the dropper-slide in different planters, it is provided with a number of holes for the pivot, as shown. At the end opposite the cam the arm passes through a stirrup or staple, d, in the slide-bar F. 3y this means the corn is dropped automatically through the medium of the carrying and covering wheels in their natural revolution, as will be readily seen.

To insure accuracy in the dropping of the corn at all times, the covering-wheel B is provided with markers 0 c, which leave an impression in the ground directly opposite the hill of corn. The marker is a plate projecting somewhat beyond the periphery of the wheel, as shown. By watching the relative position of these impressions from time to time the operator is enabled to see that the rows are straight in both directions. Should the position of the markers with respect to the rows be changed in turning about, or otherwisathe wheel is turned until the new impression aligns with the old.

AS it is sometimes necessary to throw the dropper out of gear, the vibratory arm is hinged in a vertical plane between the pivot and the cam, so that the traveler may be dis engaged from the cam. A slecve,f,slips over the joint and holds the arm rigid when in use. I am aware that the automatic dropping of corn by means of a cam and a lever connect- ICO ing therewith and with the dropper-slide is 1 ing sleeve f, the adjustable pivot H and 1c not, broadly, new, and I d 0 not claim such as bracket E, and the slide-bar F, substantially my invention; but 1 as shown and described.

WhatIdo claim, and desire to secure by Let- In testimony whereof I affix my signature in ters Patent, ispresence of two witnesses.

In a corn-planter, the 0am A, adjustably CHARLES THOMPSON. connected with the flange or ring A by stirrup- Witnesses: bolts D D, in combination with covering-wheel A. I. SMITH, B, having markers e e, the jointed arm O,hav- FRANK G. CLARK. 

